Using Pins

ChessBase indices offer instructive access to the high quality games published in Chess Informant. Using the endgame index in my database of all Informants, I found this instructive position where Mikhail Tal simplified into an elementary pawn ending. The game was published as Informant 2/539 (1966) and was annotated by Aleksandar Matanović, founding editor of the publication.

White to move

Tal played 48.b5! threatening bxc6 and the pinned bishop. Perhaps b5-b6 was also a threat if Black tried 48...Kd8.

Petar Trifunovic played 48...Rxc5.

49.Bxh3 piling on the pinned bishop.

49...f5 50.bxc6 Rxc6 51.Bxf5 Rd6

White to move

Black's pieces are immobile.

52.Kg3 Ke8

Finally, Black steps out of the pin.

53.Rxd7 Rxd7 54.Bxd7+ Kxd7 55.Kg4

I wanted to say that White had only one winning move here, but 55.Kh4 works just as well.

55...Ke6 56.Kg5 Kf7 57.Kf5 1-0

In the final position, Black is in zugzwang--a common motif in pawn endings. See "Six Pawn Endings".